Without knowing the pedigree of the building that now houses the URSO Hotel & Spa, the hotel’s high ceilings and original features (including stained glass windows and the tiles on the façade) certainly hint at its 20th century palatial past. Luxurious, yet understated, the 78 elegant guestrooms and suites decorated in tones of cream, grey and green lend an air of calm to the URSO Hotel & Spa, which belies its central location in between the busy districts of Tribunal, Chamberi and Chueca. Rooms all come with Nespresso coffee machines, flat screen TVs and a daily turndown service, with suites featuring buttery leather sofas in their separate living areas and, at the upper echelons, an open-air terrace with views out over the city.

The hotel’s sleek, wood-clad spa from Spanish skincare sensation Natura Bissé is a Madrid destination in itself, with a full menu of decadent treatments (including a facial that involves diamond dust), a hammam steam bath, and a hydrotherapy pool. And for visiting foodies, the hotel’s pop-up dining concept, “The Table By -” offers cuisine from talented and often Michelin-starred chefs.